Best Cured Cobia With Toasted Pine Nut Relish Recipes

SALSA DE PINON (PINE NUT SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a blender, combine the pine nuts, egg yolks, caper juice, capers, and half and half. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

COBIA WITH NEW SMYRNA CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• For the lardo: Mix together the salt, fennel seed, lavender, meat cure, white pepper and nutmeg. Rub the mixture on all sides of the pork fat and place in a plastic, stainless steel or glass container. Cover with plastic wrap, and then foil, and put a heavy plate or lid on top to force out moisture. Refrigerate for 5 days to cure.
• Remove the plastic wrap and foil, rinse, and pat dry. Let air dry in a bowl for 10 days on a rack in the refrigerator.
• For the steamed clams: Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until translucent. Add the clams, chile flakes, bay leaves, thyme, some salt and the wine. Cover and steam until the clams open. Cool the cooked clams in the refrigerator; reserve the cooking liquid. Shell the clams and discard the shells.
• For the chowder: Combine the fish fumet, reserved clam cooking liquid and corn cobs in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes to create the chowder broth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
• Ladle 4 cups of the broth into a saucepan with the shell beans, roasted corn kernels, potatoes, butter and some salt, black pepper and chile flakes. Cook until reduced and the broth slightly thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and 1 cup of the shelled, cooked clams.
• For the cobia: Sprinkle the cobia with salt and black pepper. Heat the canola oil in a pan until hot, and then sear the fish, top-side down. When the fish is cooked about halfway through, add the butter, thyme, bay leaves and garlic to the pan. As the butter melts, baste the fish using a large spoon until cooked through.
• For assembly: Slice the lardo paper-thin with a sharp knife and lay the slices over the seared, hot cobia. The lardo will "melt" over the hot fish. Spoon the clam chowder into the bottom of 6 deep single-serving bowls and top with seared fish.

PAN ROASTED VENISON WITH CRUSHED BLACKBERRY-ANCHO CHILE SAUCE AND SWEET POTATO-TOASTED PINE NUT POLENTA

Steps:

• Whisk together the gin, Port, red wine, thyme, and juniper berries in a medium shallow baking dish. Add the venison and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Remove from marinade and pat dry. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Season the venison with salt and pepper and cook on 1 side until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Plate with the Sweet Potato-Toasted Pine Nut Polenta, drizzled with the Crushed Blackberry-Ancho Chile Sauce.
• Brush a little oil on a baking sheet and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add stock or water plus salt, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal with a wire whisk.
• Once all of the cornmeal is whisked in turn the heat to low and continue cooking, mixing with a wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Stir in the mashed sweet potato and butter and mix until combined. Stir the pine nuts into the mixture, season with salt and pepper and pour the mixture into the prepared baking sheet. Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm and chilled.
• Remove from the refrigerator and cut into triangles, circles, or squares. Heat oil in a large saute pan, season the polenta slices with salt and pepper, and saute on both sides until golden brown.
• Melt the butter in a medium non-reactive saucepan over medium heat. Cook the celery, carrot, and onions until soft. Add the peppercorns, port, red wine, cranberry juice, ancho puree, brown sugar, and stock and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half. Strain into a clean pot, add the blackberries, and cook over medium heat until the blackberries are soft, using the back of a fork, gently crush the blackberries. Season with salt, to taste.
• Combine the ancho and water in a small bowl and let stand 1 hour. Drain well, reserving the soaking liquid. Remove the seeds and stems and puree in a food processor with the garlic, cilantro, and about 1/2 cup of the liquid, or more if needed.